


A Mage with a Sword

by TheAnimangaGirl



Series: The Amell Chronicles [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Amell doesn't like to lose, Combat, F/M, Pre-Relationship, Training, UST, just get a room, sparing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 13:52:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10992249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAnimangaGirl/pseuds/TheAnimangaGirl
Summary: Amell just became and Arcane warrior, now she need to learn how to use a sword.





	A Mage with a Sword

“Just like that?”

“Apparently so”

“Hu, weird…..”

“I know, but you know what this means?”

“What?”

“No more robes!” Honestly it was kind of hard not to smile at her absolutely blissful face, she strapped her staff in her back and took the sword and shield she had been stubbornly carrying since Lothering. Oathkeeper.

“Have you ever wielded a sword before?” asked Alistair

“Of course I had!”

“Just moving it around randomly doesn't count as wielding a sword”

“I….I knew that”

The silence overtook the small band.

“What about Morrigan, can _she_ wield a sword too?”

“I am standing here you fool, and no” her cheeks turned slightly red “I have not yet learned that technique”

“Right, so we have a mage that apparently can use heavy armors and another who turns into animals”

“That’s pretty simplistic but yes, if I can now use my strength in magic as physical strength then there is no need for me to stay in the back lines”

“What?” asked Alistair not understanding

“Sten”

“Yes?”

“Will you teach me to use a broadsword?”

“What?” repeated Alistair stopping his spoon from the stew.

“Amell are you sure, broadswords are…” started Leliana

“Why?” asked the Qunari, clearly perplexed at the question.

“Why? Well, I want to fight, to attack Darkspawn before it attacks me, to cover for you guys , I am no healer so then I might use a sword protect you all”

The Qunari assessed the Mage carefully. “Despite that magic you said you learn from the elves you’ll need real muscle and strength before you can even lift a dagger”

“I am willing to learn”

“Very well we start at dawn”

“At dawn?”

“Is that a complaint?”

“Sir, no sir”

Alistair and Leliana looked at each other with worry.

The next weeks were anything short of torture for Amell, but not once did she complained. Sten woke her at dawn and trained her until noon every single day, push ups, sit downs , running and hard labor. The Qunari had said that her muscles were as frail as burnt incense , and that they needed to harden them. Amell was still carrying a bit of her baby fat from her circle days but that didn’t lasted long. It almost looked as if she was sweating the fat itself. The good thing about camping in the Hinterlands was the fact that there was enough ram to feed them all. Soon Sten’s work began to show progress, the once wobbly arms of a mage were replaced by the thin but growing arms of a warrior. The legs began defining themsleves and the baby fat in her tummy was making way to abdominal muscles, another development was…

“Leliana , see” said Amell very excited one day

“What is it?”

Amell was wearing leather pants, once they had been baggy, but now…

“I have a butt!”

Alistair choked on the water he was drinking, he couldn’t have heard that correctly, did she just...his eyes moved quickly to that specific part of anatomy of his fellow Warden.

“Hu?” murmured Leliana appreciatively “It appears that you do”

“I am so happy!”

“For a butt?”

“Yes, see some apprentices in the circle teaed me for ‘having all the hips but no butt’ and now I have a butt, it’s all thanks to Sten’s regime.

“Didn't you had a dislocated shoulder from that?”

“Nothing an injury kit can’t solve”

“Aren’t you pushing yourself more than you should?”

“Everybody has to train, and I have not forsaken my studies”

“That’s why you wake up with a book in your forehead every morning”

She yawned “Being dark is no excuse for not studying it’s a circle habit, one I am not very eager to get rid of”

“Amell?” called Alistair from the other side of the camp

“Hey Alistair...why are you wet?”

“That’s...that’s not important, I have a request for you”

“Oh” she said arching her eyebrow “what is it?”

“Spar with me”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You have been training for a month now, surely you can indulge me with a mock fight”

“But why? You are still more dextrous in combat than I am”

“We shall see,no?”

“Alright”

“I will be fair and we will spar with wooden weapons”

“I am not a child Alistair I can take iron”

“Very well”

 

* * *

 

They decided the best would be after everything was packed before dinner.  Leliana was eyeing the two Wardens circling each other, measuring and calculating, Alistair had the advantage, he had been training to fight for years as a Templar and as a Warden. Amell on the other hand had spent her childhood reading and training her magic.

“Any comments , Sten?”

“None”

“You are quite conversationalist I see”

Rosarot , the mabari just barked, he didn’t looked concerned for his mistress.

“‘Tis but a waste of time” said Morrigan checking the stew

“How so?” asked Leliana

“Amell is mage, so naturally she is bound to win, physical force or not”

“They agreed to do with without magic”

“You shall see”

Amell, opened the fight lunging directly at Alistair, he in contrast raised his shield repelling the attack. Amell quickly tied to do a back stab only to be blocked again this time by Alistair’s sword. Amell’s gaze intensified, she had always been competitive, she hide it at first, but as weeks had passed by the members of her little party had realized that she was competitive, stubborn and a natural leader, skills she likely was told to soften in the circle but that now in the middle of the Blight were flourishing.

She began attacking alistair only for him to repel every attack , she began to lose ground and Sten’s face changed just for an instant. He didn’t allowed her any time for breathing  he was not fighting as if he was fighting Darkspawn, his swings were very controlled. Amell’s weren’t,  she was growing desperate for not connecting any hit, while Alistair’s face only showed a natural concentration. Ha had managed to push her almost against a tree. She knew that if she was pushed against something it was game over, Sten had told her as much, with the back against something broadswords tended to be weaker. Alistair’s face only showed cockiness at this point, something that made Amell’s blood boil.She was getting closer and closer to the tree.

“I wi…” began Alistair ready to deliver a coup de grace before he found himself thrown to the other side of the cam by a repulsion glyph. He landed painfully on his back.

Morrigan looked smugly at Leliana “Told you so”

“Ouch” he said rubbing his head.

“Sweet Mother of Andraste! Alistair!” Amell ran l towards her fallen  comrade leaving the broadsword in the floor, “I am so sorry I know we said that no magic but….”

She didn’t finished her sentence because she was unceremoniously thrown at the floor by the former templar, who managed to pin her down with little effort.

“What do you know, I win” he said with a easy smile

Amell blinked , confusion coloring her face. “What?”

“I said I win Amell”

“I don’t understand I…”

“Very well, I concede the victory” said Sten

“What’s going on?”

“Alistair mentioned how your fighting style, despite being suited for a two handed weapon, is impulsive, you cannot overwrite years of defensive training for offensive one so he suggest that you train with a sword and a shield”

“I…”

“Come on I won’t be a bad teacher” said Alistair winking “but the choice is ultimately yours.”

“Can I decide when you are not ....pinning me to the ground?” said Amell as colors began rising to her face, the blushing having nothing to do with the physical extension.

Alistair then realized he still had her pinned down with each hand on her wrists and his body , both legs on the side of her hips and his body resting  on her hips. Now his face began turning the color of a ruby.

“I..yes” he liberated her wrists and began to stand up only for him being thrown to the floor and now she pinning him down in the same position he just had her.

“Cheat” she said feeling the hand soil below him.

“I hate to lose”

“We noticed”

They stayed in that compromising position as if time had frozen around them. It looked as if Alistair wanted to say something but neither of them dared to divert the sight of the other.

Morrigan gave a disapproving groan. “Either you both rise from the ground or get in a tent”

Amell’s cocky smile was wiped out “I...on three, Alistair?”

“Yeah” he said quietly

Both Wardens finally rose and began to dust themselves. Amell faced Sten.

“Sten I do not want to disrespect you, you have been my teacher so far…”

“Nonsense Warden, you should use the most efficient training to get your goals. No offense will be taken, you have proved yourself to be a good learner, perhaps humans are not that weak”

That was a long statement coming from the Qunari , who usually limited himself to monosyllables.

“I thank you for everything Stan” she said giving a small bow.

She then turned to Alistair. “Ser Alistair” he cringed at the formal title “I humbly request for you to be my teacher”

“Why all the formality?”

“Seemed appropriate”

“Well, you can stop now, I am going to be your teacher not your boss”

“Of course not, everybody here knows _I_ am the boss”

“What happened to the humility?”

“Decided to take a nap”

“Ha ha”

“Oh, you want humility?” she said with a mocking tone. “Oh your highness please forgive this lowly peasant for her careless demeanor” She had her head bowed  and giggling, so she didn’t saw how Alistair eyes widened as he gulped soundly. Both Leliana and Morrigan noticed with strangeness.

“Very funny, just because it’s me doesn't mean I am going to go easy on you, I think Sten will rip my arms out if I allow his training go to waste.

“Very true” commented the Qunari

“Anyway we should start our training as soon as se can, we are about a week away from Redcliffe, last we need is another ambush”

“I...yes, we can start tomorrow at dawn”

“What is it with you warriors and dawn?” muttered Amell

“The best way to start the day”

“Says you”

“Today we are going to talk theory, if you are up to it”

“Hah!” she laughed coyly “Theory is my middle name.

“Really?”

“No, it’s Solona, but call me that and I will send you a lightening bolt”

“Well, if you are done doing jokes, come and eat, I will not allow my hard work go to waste because of you two”

“Sorry Morrigan” said Amell entering her tent to look for her plate. Alistair did the same.

“Fools both of them” whispered Morrigan to no one in particular

“I think it’s cute” said Leliana “Like the time Sten was playing with that kitten”

“It was training” mumbled the Qunari concentrating on his stew.

“His reaction was strange” commented the witch.

“I agree, I guess we’ll have more context once we arrive to Redcliffe."

**Author's Note:**

> Just for the record this is after the Becillian Forest but before Redcliffe, so at this point Amell doesn't know Alistair is heir to the throne.


End file.
